The Margin

5 good habits from a former hedge funder that can ‘make you a superhero’

James Altucher

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Since the question “What are some good habits to follow?” was first posed on Quora, hundreds of people have stepped up with advice. Of course, there’s plenty of good stuff to glean from the flood of responses, but for the most part, we’ve heard it before. Eat your veggies. Get plenty of sleep. Break a sweat. Read a book. Put down the electronics and engage with a real-life human being. Etc.

But James Altucher, a best-selling author and former hedge-fund manager, chimed in to offer some of his own tips that he says can be accomplished in less than five minutes a day. And, like the man himself, many of his recommendations might fall under the “quirky” category.

“Don’t fall for all of the ‘habit porn’... keep things simple,” he wrote. “You can’t make a habit in a day. Instead, use the 1% rule. If you try to improve a habit 1% a day, (a small tiny amount) you will improve it 3,800% a year. That makes you a superhero.”

With that in mind, here are five of Altucher’s “good habits to follow”:

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“Watch stand-up comedy five minutes a day. Your mirror neurons will make you funnier and a better speaker and communicator. And laughter is orgasm for the soul.”

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“Like people. Social media is not as bad as people keep saying. Schedule some time to do it. ‘Like’ things your friends do. This actually releases oxytocin into your brain and makes you feel happier.”

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“Go to the bank. Order $2 bills. Use $2 bills as tips in cafes. People will remember you and treat you better next time you go there.”

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